Traffic grinds on and on and on

I've been commuting the 30 miles from Sierra Madre to UCLA for more than 20 years on the 210, 134 and 101 freeways. I now really hate driving. I think that any solution to the gridlock problem that involves accommodating more cars is insane. There's a relatively cheap and easy way to resolve the problem: Run train tracks down the commuter lanes on all freeways.

Access to the trains could be from overpass via stairs, or tunnels. The trains would never encounter cross-traffic (already a problem with the current parallel system), and barriers would keep the cars on the freeway away from the trains.

Other advantages: No acquiring of rights of way, no major tunneling. Freeways are everywhere in Southern California, so the system would be distributed in a way that accommodates everybody. The system could be constructed rapidly compared with a parallel system.

JOHN E. BOYDEN

Sierra Madre

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Tunneling under the Santa Monica Mountains between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside and from Santa Clarita to the San Fernando Valley would reduce gridlock on all our local freeways.

Tunneling rather than at-grade construction reduces community opposition, especially from residents in the heavily traveled canyon shortcuts. Safety of the project must be the highest priority. Letting the private sector finance and build the project would ensure that it is built in a timely fashion. We need traffic relief now.

SEAN MCCARTHY

West Hills

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I waver between utter dismay, anger and disbelief whenever I read anything about the state of traffic in Los Angeles. Let's put a little history with this. My father graduated from USC, and his first project on his first job was to conduct a study and propose an effective public transit system for Los Angeles. His system included light rail, reintroduction of the Red Cars and buses. At the time, his study was just one in a long list of studies that had been performed for the city. My father died four years ago at the age of 80.

Solving the suffocating traffic problems in our city could be the single most measurable way to improve the quality of life for Angelenos.

To our leaders I can only say, no more studies, no more proposals and no more talk. We need action now. Pick any one of an even longer list of studies over the last half a century and implement it. Just do it!

LISA ANN CARRILLO

Woodland Hills

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Re "Luxury wrapped in gridlock," Jan. 19

I wondered if the proponents of building the supermega luxury Waldorf-Astoria complex at Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards in Beverly Hills are adults. Just because something can be done doesn't mean that it should be done.

Does the thirst for profits always have to trump responsibility and restraint?

It seems to me that this project does have an appropriate place: either "Beverly Hills Land" at a theme park or on the Las Vegas Strip.